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UFC Bantamweight Francisco Rivera Blames Contaminated Mexican Meat After Testing Positive for Clenbuterol
Francisco Rivera, a bantamweight mixed martial artist with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion, has tested positive for the beta-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is prohibited under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
The potential anti-doping policy violation occurred with the analysis of an out-of-competition sample collected on July 23, 2016. The failed test took place one week before Rivera's fight against Erik Perez at UFC 201 in Atlanta on July 30, 2016. Rivera lost a unanimous decision to Perez.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the independent administrator of the UFC's anti-doping program. The UFC released a statement on Rivera's failed drug test after being notified by USADA. However, neither USADA or UFC, as a general policy, publicly reveal the name of the performance-enhancing drug (PED) involved until the results management has been fully adjudicated.
The athlete has the option to reveal the PED responsible for his failed drug test. Even though Rivera was under no requirement to disclose the name of the drug, Rivera chose to disclose the PED via a statement released by his management group Iridium Sports Agency (ISA).
The ISA statement identified the drug as clenbuterol. Furthermore, Rivera refused to accept responsibility for intentionally consuming the drug. Rivera suspected the clenbuterol positive may have occurred after he consumed tainted beef in Mexico.
Rivera will likely appeal the results since he has nothing to lose. If his appeal fails, he faces a suspension from UFC competition for two -years. Unlike most athletes who blame their failed drug test on the unknowing consumption of a contaminated dietary supplement or food product, there is a reasonable chance that Rivera's appeal could succeed.
Last week, UFC bantamweight Ning Guangyou tested positive for clenbuterol too. But USADA did not sanction Guangyou since it determined that the clenbuterol entered his body through no fault or negligence on his own. Since Guangyou lives and trains in China, he has to deal with the widespread illicit administration of clenbuterol to livestock animals in the country.
“USADA reviewed all of the evidence, including the athlete’s whereabouts, dietary habits, and the laboratory reports demonstrating very low parts per billion concentrations of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s urine sample, and concluded that the presence of clenbuterol in the athlete’s sample very likely resulted from clenbuterol contaminated meat consumed in China. As a result, Guangyou will not face a period of ineligibility for his positive test.”
China is a known high-risk countries for clenbuterol-tainted meat. Rivera also knows that Mexico is another high-risk country for clenbuterol-tainted meat. Rivera is expected to make an argument similar to the one that worked for Guangyou.
If USADA determines that Rivera's “whereabouts, dietary habits” and low concentration of clenbuterol are consistent with inadvertent ingestion of clenbuterol, Rivera may also avoid punishment.
Francisco Rivera, a bantamweight mixed martial artist with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion, has tested positive for the beta-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is prohibited under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
The potential anti-doping policy violation occurred with the analysis of an out-of-competition sample collected on July 23, 2016. The failed test took place one week before Rivera's fight against Erik Perez at UFC 201 in Atlanta on July 30, 2016. Rivera lost a unanimous decision to Perez.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is the independent administrator of the UFC's anti-doping program. The UFC released a statement on Rivera's failed drug test after being notified by USADA. However, neither USADA or UFC, as a general policy, publicly reveal the name of the performance-enhancing drug (PED) involved until the results management has been fully adjudicated.
The athlete has the option to reveal the PED responsible for his failed drug test. Even though Rivera was under no requirement to disclose the name of the drug, Rivera chose to disclose the PED via a statement released by his management group Iridium Sports Agency (ISA).
The ISA statement identified the drug as clenbuterol. Furthermore, Rivera refused to accept responsibility for intentionally consuming the drug. Rivera suspected the clenbuterol positive may have occurred after he consumed tainted beef in Mexico.
Rivera will likely appeal the results since he has nothing to lose. If his appeal fails, he faces a suspension from UFC competition for two -years. Unlike most athletes who blame their failed drug test on the unknowing consumption of a contaminated dietary supplement or food product, there is a reasonable chance that Rivera's appeal could succeed.
Last week, UFC bantamweight Ning Guangyou tested positive for clenbuterol too. But USADA did not sanction Guangyou since it determined that the clenbuterol entered his body through no fault or negligence on his own. Since Guangyou lives and trains in China, he has to deal with the widespread illicit administration of clenbuterol to livestock animals in the country.
“USADA reviewed all of the evidence, including the athlete’s whereabouts, dietary habits, and the laboratory reports demonstrating very low parts per billion concentrations of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s urine sample, and concluded that the presence of clenbuterol in the athlete’s sample very likely resulted from clenbuterol contaminated meat consumed in China. As a result, Guangyou will not face a period of ineligibility for his positive test.”
China is a known high-risk countries for clenbuterol-tainted meat. Rivera also knows that Mexico is another high-risk country for clenbuterol-tainted meat. Rivera is expected to make an argument similar to the one that worked for Guangyou.
If USADA determines that Rivera's “whereabouts, dietary habits” and low concentration of clenbuterol are consistent with inadvertent ingestion of clenbuterol, Rivera may also avoid punishment.
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